Houston airport peoplemover modernisation and operations contract awarded
USA: Alstom has been awarded a $437m contract to modernise and operate the Skyway automated peoplemover at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston.
RENFE invites high speed train tenders
SPAIN: National train operator RENFE has called tenders for the supply of 30 high speed trainsets, with options for 10 more.
Metrans invests in Romanian rail freight terminal
ROMANIA: Metrans has signed a binding agreement to acquire a 50% in Afluent’s Arad South Terminal, its first intermodal terminal in Romania.
Seibu Railway to launch Vies fine dining train for ‘quality time shared with someone special’
JAPAN: Seibu Railway has announced the branding for a fine dining train which is scheduled to launch in March 2028 using a distinctive Hitachi Rail trainset.
Train ticket changes will push corporate travellers to cars, says Business Travel Association
UK: The Business Travel Association says changes to rail ticket refund rules will penalise the ‘lowest-risk, highest-yielding customers’ and give travel management companies and corporate clients insufficient time to adapt.
International railway organisation OTIF suspends Afghanistan’s voting rights
AFGHANISTAN: The Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail has suspended Afghanistan’s voting rights over non-payment of its contributions due for 2022 and subsequent years.
Alstom accredited as a LGBTQ+ Trailblazing Employer
UK: Alstom has been recognised as a Trailblazing Employer in Stonewall’s Proud Employers Accreditation scheme for organisations demonstrating commitment to LQBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace.
GB Railfreight CEO John Smith to step back after 25 years
UK: Freight operator GB Railfreight has announced that founder and Chief Executive John Smith is to step back from his role, and the company and its shareholder Infracapital have begun the process of appointing his replacement as part of long-standing succession planning.
Akiem places first order for main line electric-battery Vectron locomotives
EUROPE: Akiem is the launch customer for an electric-battery bi-mode version of Siemens Mobility’s Vectron locomotive, which will be able to operate using overhead electrification where available and battery power on non-electrified sections of route.
Engineers take advantage of emergency closure of Glasgow Central station
UK: Glasgow Central station has fully reopened following disruption caused by a major fire in an adjacent commercial building, with Network Rail having taken the opportunity of the unexpected closure of Scotland’s busiest station to undertake maintenance and renewal works that would normally have taken around 10 months to complete.
Alcalá de Guadaíra receives first trams
Trenitalia increases high speed train order
Urban transport industry news round-up
AtkinsRéalis awarded £98m signalling contract
High Speed 2 told to explore cutting speeds to reduce costs
Fix rail replacement provision to limit ‘do not travel’ warnings, urges CMAC
Gauge-changing technology to speed up Ukraine’s cross-border rail freight
Conduent integrates EMV ticketing in Italy
Largest-ever Subway car order planned in New York’s ‘golden age of transit investment’
Electro-diesel train for Zagreb – Split route unveiled
Hitachi Rail launches next-generation ticket validator
World rail freight news round-up
Taiwan Metro Alliance meets in Singapore for the first time
Estonia to develop unified public transport ticketing data platform
Ticketing: Mobile and contactless payment expand in Mexico City
GO Transit and UP Express operating contract extended
Ontario buys tracks for Northlander passenger train service
GoVolta launches to make international rail travel ‘affordable, comfortable and accessible to everyone’
AI booking tool shows that travel demand from disabled passengers is higher than thought
First phase of München Westtangente tram route inaugurated
